Feeling a little out of place as this class is so business-owner oriented and not so much at all IT related, I'll go head and "start" one of my own. Guess I need to read the course description a little closer. Lesson learned.

Moving on...

Let's introduce Concept Gaming Incorporated. This is my take on high performance computer equipment from the desktop/laptops themselves to individual parts and accessories to enhance one's casual hobby or dedicated passion. Reliant on online sales and web traffic as there will be no physical stores to go to. However, the company is HQ'd quite conveniently here in Oceanside, CA.

     Target Market - This market is a niche, for sure, but it is quickly growing at an explosive pace over the last decade. Gaming itself is more casually seen whereas 5-10 years ago one was deemed socially awkward for committing any time to gaming.

• Gamers.
• Computer Enthusiasts.

     TM Demographic

• Age - 14 to 30 
• Gender - Predominately male with a growing female base.
• Marital status - Any
• Family size - Any
• Income - middle-high middle+
• Education level - Any
• Occupation - Any
• Race - Any
• Religion - Any

     TM Psycho-Graphics

• Attitudes- Tech-savvy, competitive, energetic, social, casual, dedicated, assertive
• Beliefs- Individuality, diversity
• Emotions- Dedicated, eager
• Values- Quality, efficiency, convenience, support
• Hobbies- Video games, video streaming, music, graphic design, multimedia projects, music, technology, online pop-culture, social media
• Type of Entertainment- Online
• Lifestyle- Alternative

     TM Behaviors

• Brand Importance/Customer Loyalty- Lifeblood of the company
• Highest value- Quality (product/service/distribution) -> Price -> Convenience
• Method of Payment- Online. Credit/Debit Card, PayPal, Specific Concept Gaming Credit Card (for those who qualify)
• Preferred Interaction- Online store, Live Chat via website, direct email/phone communications to specific branch (Sales, Tech Support, HR, Distributing)

In Summary, my target-base is young to young adult men and women who share an interest in casual and/or competitive gaming via PC. The company can provide to those who have never made any high-end PC or PC accessory purchase as well as to those who need an upgrade or replacement part. This demographic is aware of the highly competitive PC and PC parts/accessories industry and has a disposable income. 

With trends in technology, advancements in individual parts occurring every 9-18 months will create a constant influx of sales, whether the consumer immediately jumps at the release of the latest and greatest or bargain shops for the high-quality, but technically "out-dated" piece that was just the industry standard before. Standing out above competition will require competitive prices to industry rivals and a primary focus of having the top service and convenience before, during, and after the sales process. 


Link To Facebook Page Here! Click Me

Sites I Cannot Get Away From

NHL.com

1. Why is this site effective?

I feel this site is effective for a few reasons. Mainly, the viewers it draws share a universal passion/interest for the sport. On top of that, the format is set up so one can simply navigate with little experience on the site. I feel the links are simply and clearly stated for smooth navigation.

2. What specific principles of good design do they include and why?

I feel emphasis is the most obvious principle that this site uses. Catchy headlines, eye-popping images, and access to discussion boards and videos all emphasize the wealth of information the site has at a single click of the mouse. This site also utilizes proportion as the page always seems to have that perfect relationship between objects.

3. What makes you come back again?

The ease of updates or casual reading keeps me coming back. There are seemingly millions of sports websites but the fact I can catch the top headlines from the front page allows me to read the content quickly when time is limited.

4. What could be improved?

To be nit-picky, it would be fun to have an account with the site and customize what news, updates, videos, etc you see based on your selected preferences.

Pandora Radio

1. Why is this site effective?

I believe the site maintains simplicity. There is no need to spam a page with clutter, especially an online radio page. People access what they want, quickly and efficiently, and that retains traffic.

2. What specific principles of good design do they include and why?

Balance and unity really stick out to me on Pandora. The position in which links, search bar, and advertisements gives a welcoming feel to the page and gets you from point A to point B with no resistance.

3. What makes you come back again?

As stated before, efficiency is key. While people are continuously on the go, a simple set up goes a long way into keeping visitors interested.

4. What could be improved?

Advertisements are the only thing I see as an eye-sore.. but that's kind of the point of them. Other than that, I feel a possible, albeit, slight increase in font size could help.

The Good, the Bad, and the uhh what were they thinking!

Not that I am overly qualified to judge one business site to another, but I am using the always accurate to me eye-test and for some of these sites, I just thought "Wow."

TEC Torch - This was my first view of the given list and my initial "Wow" moment. To me, this site is so cluttered and bland that I had a hard time believing this was an actual company. Here's my list of three potential problems:
-Difficulty finding information
-Unprofessional look may cause potential customers to look else-where
-Limited contact ability

Rich Soil - Insert sentiments from TEC Torch here.
-Grammar stuck out to me. I understand I'm currently blogging and not following any set format or really even checking up on my own grammar... but I'm not running a business. The complete lower-case style came across as lazy to me.
-Endless front page. I'm almost positive my mouse scroll wheel broke from furiously scrolling for half an hour. I feel this desperately needs to be broken up into several pages. Condensing news, offers, information, etc into a topic bar near the top of the page. This would allow the visitor to view what he/she wants to see.
-Email sign-up was at the bottom of the page. I don't know... after that marathon of a mouse scroll I just did, I don't think I'm ready to sign up for the company newsletter. With a front page in such scale, what is the likelihood a viewer even see's that sign-up?

Swagelok - Happiest I've been while viewing a fluid systems product website.
-Professionally done. Looks sharp and has an atmosphere, if you will, of success.
-Search Bar. This is probably an aspect of Information Systems that is so often overlooked. Not sure where to find what you're looking for but the product name is staring you in the face? Punch that bad boy in to that site and you'll efficiently find what you're looking for. Saves time, viewer is happy and much more likely to return.
-Pictures scaled properly. No mouse scroll marathons on this site. The pictures are displayed at a scale that you can clearly see what products/services they offer, but not causing the page to continuously extend.

Apple - Although I'm not the biggest Apple guy out there, this site is perfect in my eyes. It's so well done. From color scheme to organization. Whoops, better bullet these reasons...
-Organization. The products are seperated in their own respective categories. No wasting time clicking on a whim. This layout has it plain to see.
-Advertisement. No, not spam ad's but actual images and links to detailed information on the latest Apple products.
-Contact Information. Clearly seen at the bottom of the screen and also in the support tab. So all needs are filled in a single page. Store/Support/Account. Simple, simple, simple.

Disclaimer: Sarcastic tones due to late-night studying & project working as well as some blogging, at it's finest, in-between.

Five of my personal favorite businesses that are using social media are...

Washington Capitals - Google+ Facebook Twitter LinkedIn

Newegg - Twitter Facebook YouTube RSS Feeds

ESPN - Twitter

Best Buy - Facebook Twitter

USAA - Facebook Twitter YouTube

Twitter helped my world go 'round

Trying to think of a specific, negative experience with a company was actually difficult. I'll consider myself lucky and hope I didn't jinx myself in the future by stating that. However, it was easy to think of a great experience that involved twitter. Let me preface by saying, my brother-in-law is more obsessed with computer video games than anyone I know. With me working in that very field, I thought it would be fitting to buy him computer parts and teach him how to build his very own computer.

I went to a site called Newegg, and began ordering the required parts. It went extremely smooth, until one part was missing come delivery time. Not worried, I simply called their support line for an update. For whatever reason, I called at a time where the average wait time was upwards of an hour and a half! Normally, I'd chalk it up to bad timing and try a bit later but I had planned out the arrival to work with my brother-in-law's vacation to visit us. This is where social media helped me out! I saw on their site a link their Twitter page and submitted a quick, 140 character or less plea to get through to anyone capable of answering my quick question. Was a total shot in the dark and I didn't have much faith in hearing from anyone. It was probably five minutes later I received a tweet to check my email and the response was enclosed. Turns out, the delivery company had left that last part at the warehouse and I was able to drive and pick it up the same day!

Maybe my story was one where all the stars aligned and I was on Lady Luck's side, but Twitter bailed me out and I was so happy to use another form of contact.

Playtime and Business time... or both?

My best evaluation of social media is that what began as simply social networking has now branched into a means of communication for businesses, small and large. I believe social media provides a much easier approach for customers to provide feedback as well as market to potential customers. For example, it seems every business has a Facebook page and, those who can afford it, advertise with banners on Facebook.

I really feel we, as a society, find voicing our opinions over social media (funny.. as I write this blog I mention that) easier than calling the company over the phone. Maybe the anonymity gives many the courage they would not normally have or the possibility for ones opinion to be read by thousands, if not millions.

Either way, social media is more than a trend many thought it would be. Here is my shortened list of what social media outlets I feel are geared towards personal and professional, as well as those I feel cover both areas.

Personal:

• Instagram
• DeviantArt
• MyLife
• Flixster

Professional:

• LinkedIn
• Google+ (the chat/video chat features and drive storage capability makes this very helpful to businesses!)

Best of Both Worlds:

• Twitter
• Facebook

Your thoughts?